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I met Babu shortly after she arrived at OHS. Her owners had moved into a new home and said Babu was having a hard time adjusting. The new home was too noisy and busy for her. They decided it would be best for Babu to come to OHS in hopes she could find a quieter home more suited to her personality.
When she came to OHS, she struggled to settle in. While OHS has a beautiful facility, our kennels are much smaller and busier than the space Babu was used to. Staff and volunteers frequently moved in and out of the room where Babu was staying: cleaning kennels, taking cats in and out and handing out food, treats and toys. There were unfamiliar sounds, smells and faces. Babu must have felt scared and insecure in her new environment, so she put up her defenses: swatting, hissing, lunging and loud meowing. She did anything she could to make sure everyone left her alone.
Many cats who come to the shelter are defensive at first, but after a few days they adjust and begin to relax. Babu did not settle, so I stepped in to help. In a quiet room, Babu and I spent our time together building trust through food and play.
My progress with Babu was slow at first; slower than with the other cats I’ve worked with. For three weeks, I worked on getting her to trust me by sitting quietly outside of her kennel. I would use a long-handled plastic back scratcher to offer her food and treats so she didn’t have to get too close to me. I tried to convince her to come out of her kennel using enticing dangly toys.
After a while, I realized that Babu was a princess and expected to be treated like one. She was very regal and liked to make sure her whiskers were perfect before stepping out. She preferred the finest food—only FirstMate’s grain-free, wild-caught salmon would do. She turned her nose up at cardboard tubes, which many cats like to play with. Feather toys (with peacock feathers, of course) were more to her liking. Once I found out what Babu loved, I was able to use those items as rewards. We progressed to the point where I could pet her as she was eating and could lure her out of her kennel to chase a feather toy.
Before & After: Video
It took over a month, but once Babu started to trust me, she made progress quickly. She willingly came out of her kennel to play and even began to seek out affection from me. This was a major accomplishment! The loud warning meow she did when she first arrived turned into a sweet mew for attention—or to alert me when she spotted a can of food she wanted. Once Babu and I were friends, I began introducing her to other people. We used tasty food and toys to help her realize that people can be good. In fact, most people just want to admire her for the beautiful princess she is.
Finally, after almost eight weeks, we all agreed that Babu was ready to find her new home. She had gone from a swatting, hissing, insecure cat to a confident, playful companion who loved to be petted. Now that she was more confident and social, Babu only had to wait in the shelter for two more weeks before she found a loving home. We heard from her adopter recently. He said that he and Babu have already become “…pretty good buds…she seems to be happy and adjusting well to her new home.”
I’ll admit her adoption was bittersweet for me. I still miss spending time with my sassy friend. Sometimes, I think back to our last day together. As I prepared Babu to go to her new home, she gave me one last sweet meow and a head-butt. I believe she was saying, “Thanks for not giving up on me.”
Contributed by Megan Willard, Admissions Assistant
Photos by Cheryl Smith, CLSmith Photography
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